2_Jacksonville Jaguars1

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AFC SOUTH
JAGUARS
2014 STRENGTHS:
• Depth along the defensive line,
dependable kicking game
Jaguars Offense
The Jacksonville Jaguars lost the face of their franchise this
offseason as running back Maurice Jones-Drew left for the silver
and black of the Raiders on the West Coast. While the second
year coach Gus Bradley will miss the production Jones-Drew
provided, the team will look to fill the void he left with freeagent
import Toby Gerhart. This will be Gerhart’s first chance
as the undisputed starter going into the season after spending
four years as Adrian Peterson’s backup. Unlike a lot of running
backs at this point in their career, the former Stanford standout
is “fresh” by NFL standards, as he has only carried the ball 276
times entering his fifth-year. The former first-rounder should
attract a lot of attention from opposing defenses this season.
While the team addressed their running back situation by
dipping into the free-agent market, they added depth to the wide
receiver position through the draft. Two players that should have
a chance to make their mark on the team are second-rounders
Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson. With depth at receiver an
issue heading into camp and the indefinite suspension of Justin
Blackmon hanging over the team, the extra reps in practice
will help Lee and Robinson acclimate to the speed of the NFL.
The young 2014 draftees will be behind wideouts Cecil Shorts
2014 WEAKNESSES:
• Lack of depth and experience on the offensive
side, question marks in the secondary
JACKSONVILLE
III and Ace Sanders on the depth chart. In 13 games last season,
Shorts III caught 66 balls for 777 yards while Sanders, who will
serve a four-game suspension to start the season, had 51 for
484. More will be expected out of these two, especially with the
aforementioned loss of Blackmon, who in four games proved he
has the talent to be among the upper-echelon of receivers as he
pulled in 29 balls for 415 yards receiving.
All eyes will be on Blake Bortles to see when he will make
his season debut, but in the meantime the starting job belongs to
Chad Henne as he will be the placeholder for the first-rounder
until the team deems Bortles fit to lead the offense. But, if the
offensive line gels together and the receivers develop quicker
than anticipated, don’t be surprised if Bortles enters the
lineup under center.
Offensive Player to Watch
Gerhart will be getting his first crack as a starting running
back in the NFL. Despite his inexperience, the Jaguars will look
to the former Heisman runner-up to pick up the slack for the
offense, at least at the start of the year. If Gerhart can prove that
he is a force to be reckoned with between the tackles, it will
allow the offense to have added time in the passing game to look
downfield. It will also make Gus Bradley feel better about playing
Bortles when the team decides he is ready, as the quarterback
will not have to worry about constant pressure from opposing
defenses. If Gerhart struggles behind a young offensive line, the
Jaguars playoff hopes will struggle to survive.
Jaguars Defense
General manager Dave Caldwell addressed a major need
this offseason. His defense struggled mightily to put pressure
on opposing quarterbacks as they finished tied for last in the
league with the Chicago Bears for the least sacks recorded in
2013. To fix this, the team dove into the free-agent market and
plucked defensive end Chris Clemons from the Seahawks, along
with his 58 career sacks, and Dekoda Watson from Tampa
Bay. Watson, in limited action last year with the Buccaneers,
recorded 42 combined tackles while getting to the quarterback
twice. The Jaguars coaches see potential in the fifth-year pro
and expect to see more out of him with more time on the field.
ROB FOLDY/GETTY IMAGES SPORT
Blake Bortles